Today, write a post about the topic of your choice — using only one-syllable words.
**********************
Clear words. I love clear words. I don’t know if I can do this, but here goes!
I taught for years. I taught kids to write. I taught them to use clear words that showed what took place. No frills. No fat. Trim it down, clean it up. That’s the way I was taught.
But if you read old books, you find lots of hard words; words that seem to cloud the facts; words that have more than one part; words of two, three,four, or more parts. Why is it, then, that we teach these days to keep it clean and clear?
Those who write well can do both. They can use short words and long words, and a mix of the two seems best to me. I do think, though, that it is best to start with the short, clear, clean style. When you can say what you want to say that way, then you will have made a great start.
You can write of kites and trees; of moons and stars and doors and keys and jam in jars. You can write of pans and coats and pots and oats. You can stop the ball with a mitt, or you can take a break and sit.
You can say a lot with short clear words. The grass is green, the sky is blue; the house is clean, and I see you!
And now I think I know how Dr. Suess did it 🙂
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/one-at-a-time/
Good point! I am quite a ‘wordy’ writer, but I sometimes try and limit myself to simple terms in a first draft, to then come back and craft some more interesting words to include in an edit of a piece. I think it takes a lot of talent to write succinctly and to evoke imagery with simple words… and to talk to the masses at the same time. It’s certainly harder than it looks!
Yes, I agree. Much harder than it seems. We do tend to think in bigger words. A good exercise, though.
LOL. Just as I was thinking of Dr. Suess, you mentioned him. That was an excellent exercise in concentration!
It was HARD!
Thanks for the follow.
I taught school and finished my teaching career as a librarian. In my professional writing for grants and awards, I learned to keep it clean, clear and simple. When I started writing I read more attentively to what others were writing. The big words were peppered liberally and cunningly. Your point is well taken. I enjoy reading your posts. I’ve been writing and blogging since 2010.
Thanks, Meredith. I enjoy your work as well. I started blogging in April 2012, and now I’m thinking it’s time to venture out a little farther. Scary.
You’re braver than I.
I can only write short posts. (especially with these parameters.) 🙂
But, Tom, your short posts always pack a solid punch 🙂 You have the gift of saying a lot with very few words.
Oh if only that translated over into real life. 🙂
Brav o. And I love the good doc, too.
Today it is clear, clean and short. I enjoyed reading all the comments too. 🙂
I couldn’t agree more. I was just having a conversation with someone the other day as to why I like the Narnia series. It’s simple words. It flows. You can just get lost in the story and not get yanked out by some big word that has you all confuddled. I think we mistake big words and flowery writing for good prose and forget that sometimes, simple is best.
I like the old acronym KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid 🙂
I do believe that the ‘stupid’ is a direct reference to me when this quote was originally created.
Aw, come one. I’ve also heard the kinder version, Keep It Short and Sweet 🙂
Very nice!
I was about to comment that this sounded very “Seussian” but then you said it in the end 🙂
I must say having been raised on a steady diet of using complicated words, or just not taking the simple route ever, I find it very difficult today to write in simple words. I’ve spent a lifetime mindfully collecting complex words, now what shall I do with them all? 🙂
Oh my goodness, USE them! Mix them up with the simple, and teach us all some new words. I love expanding my vocabulary 🙂